Bug FAQSparkling Jewelwing
Calopteryx dimidiata · Order: Odonata · Family: Calopterygidae
The sparkling jewelwing is a small damselfly about 37 to 50 mm long with a metallic bluish-green thorax and abdomen and brown eyes. Males have the outer fifth of each wing black, separated by a straight line from the clear wing membrane. It lives near fast-flowing, acidic forest streams with plenty of riverside vegetation in the eastern and southeastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults measure 37 to 50 mm in total length.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Typical sites are sandy, acidic forest streams with fast-flowing water and abundant riverside plants.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Males patrol small territories near breeding sites, circling and chasing off rivals, while both sexes are often seen together.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Males patrol territories and chase rivals; females lay several hundred eggs underwater after descending the stem of an emergent plant. When a female is present, courtship flights precede a copulation that lasts about two minutes.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In New Jersey adults are on the wing from May to September, while in Florida they appear from February to November.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The described wing and body markings set this species apart from other Calopteryx species in its range.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 23 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, Mississippi.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When are sparkling jewelwings active?
In New Jersey they fly from May to September; in Florida they are present from February to November.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the sparkling jewelwing live?
It inhabits woodland and open areas near fast-flowing, acidic forest streams with plenty of riverside vegetation in the eastern and southeastern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a male sparkling jewelwing from a female?
Males have the outer fifth of each wing black with a straight dividing line, while females lack this dark wing tip.
Source: Wikipedia
What do sparkling jewelwings look like?
They are small damselflies (37 to 50 mm) with a metallic bluish-green thorax and abdomen and brown eyes.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Calopterygidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calopteryx_dimidiata
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.